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Bellingham City Council Public Works and Natural Resources Committee

BEL-CON-PWN-2025-12-15 December 15, 2025 Public Works Committee City of Bellingham 21 min
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The Public Works and Natural Resources Committee advanced three items on December 15, all passing unanimously with 3-0 votes. The most significant action was awarding a $3.88 million contract to Ram Construction for James Street multimodal improvements, coming in $1.4 million under the engineer's estimate of $5.22 million. This project will create a continuous non-motorized connection from the King Mountain neighborhood to Squallikum Creek Trail, installing a multi-use path, sidewalks, bike lanes, street trees, stormwater infrastructure, and lighting between Telegraph Road and Gooding Avenue. The committee also authorized the city to apply for three Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board grants totaling funding for fish passage improvements in Squalicum Creek, part of addressing 126 remaining fish barriers citywide. Additionally, they approved extending retail sewer service to a single residence at 2496 Yew Street Road due to septic system failure, meeting public health and safety standards for out-of-city service. The meeting highlighted Bellingham's ongoing infrastructure investments in multimodal transportation, environmental restoration, and public health protection, with staff noting the timing advantage of fourth-quarter bidding that resulted in competitive pricing.

**AB 24785 - James Street Multimodal Improvements Contract Award** - Voted 3-0 to award contract to Ram Construction for $3,880,135 including sales tax - Staff recommendation: Award to lowest responsive bidder (Ram Construction) - Council action: Aligned with staff recommendation - Scope: Multi-use path, sidewalks, bike lanes, street trees, stormwater, illumination, fiber connections, pavement overlay from Telegraph Road to Gooding Avenue - Funding: TIB grant under $1 million, with remainder from transportation and street funds **AB 24795 - Fish Barrier Removal Grant Authorization** - Voted 3-0 to authorize grant applications for three Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board grants - Staff …

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**Infrastructure Investment Strategy**: Staff detailed how the James Street project represents part of a multi-year, multi-department initiative between Public Works and Parks to create continuous non-motorized connections throughout the Telegraph Road/King Mountain area. The project implements a cross-section design adopted years ago through a specific study, showing long-term planning execution. The addition of lighting, fiber conduit, and pavement overlay during design demonstrates value-added project evolution. **Competitive Bidding Market**: Discussion revealed how fourth-quarter timing yielded exceptional pricing, with all 10 bids significantly below the engineer's estimate. Staff attributed this to contractors seeking to fill 2026 schedules, with local contractors like Ram Construction offering particularly competitive rates to keep crews working locally. The $1.4 million savings reflects both timing and potential Seattle-influenced consultant estimates that didn'…
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**Council Member Anderson** expressed excitement about the James Street project and asked detailed questions about bid pricing discrepancies to ensure contractor understanding of scope. She emphasized watershed sensitivity regarding the Yew Street sewer extension, supporting quick approval to prevent septic system contamination. **Council Member Cotton** sought clarification on funding source splits between TIB grants, transportation fund, and street fund for the James Street project, demonstrating ongoing interest in understanding fund relationships and external funding leverage. **Council Member Lilliquist** requested detailed information about fish barrier prioritization lists and progress tracking, suggesting public storytelling opportunities to highlight restoration achievements. He asked for sharable formats and historical context on completed versus pending projects. **Freeman Anthony…
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**Joel Flint (Public Works Director), on the James Street project:** "This project has been a long time coming. There was a study done a number of years ago that adopted a specific cross-section for this street and this is implementing on the north half of that corridor the cross-section that was decided upon." **Freeman Anthony (Project Engineer), on project evolution:** "It's great to see a project start and add some really important stuff along the way. We'll be connecting some conduit for…
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**James Street Construction**: Work expected to begin in first quarter 2026, with flexibility to start as late as March 31. Timeline depends on contractor capacity, potential flood response commitments, and procurement lead times for lighting materials. **Fish Barrier Grant Process**: Grant applications submitted for 2027-2029 biennium funding. State rankings expected in 2026, with final funding decisions by legislature in June 2027. Award money becomes available end of 202…

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**Project Award**: Ram Construction officially selected for $3.88 million James Street multimodal improvements, clearing the way for first quarter 2026 construction start. **Grant Authority**: City now authorized to pursue three Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board grants for Squalicum Creek improvements, expanding funding opportunities for environmental restoration. **Service Extension**: Single property at 2496 Yew Street Road authorized for …
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# Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council's Public Works and Natural Resources Committee convened on Sunday afternoon, December 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM in City Council Chambers. Committee Chair Hannah Stone presided over the meeting, joined by fellow committee members Lisa Anderson and Jace Cotton. Council members Ben Hamill participated online while Dan Lillquist attended in person as a non-voting observer. The committee addressed three agenda items during this brief but substantive session: awarding a major multimodal infrastructure contract, authorizing grant applications for fish barrier removal, and approving emergency sewer service for a failed septic system. The meeting exemplified the routine but essential work of municipal government — balancing infrastructure needs, environmental stewardship, and public health concerns while managing taxpayer resources. ## James Street Multimodal Improvements Contract Award The centerpiece of the afternoon was agenda bill 24785, a contract award for the James Street Multimodal Improvements segments three and four. This $3.88 million project represents years of planning coming to fruition, installing a multi-use path, sidewalks, bike lanes, and supporting infrastructure along a critical north-south corridor. Public Works Director Joel Flint opened the discussion by emphasizing the project's long history. "This project has been a long time coming," he told the committee. "There was a study done a number of years ago that adopted a specific cross-section for this street and this is implementing on the north half of that corridor the cross-section that was decided upon." The project will create what Flint described as "a continuous non-motorized connection from the King Mountain neighborhood all the way down to the Squalicum Creek Trail and beyond." This connection has …
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### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council Public Works and Natural Resources Committee met on December 15, 2025, to review three agenda items. The committee considered a major multimodal improvements project contract, fish passage improvement grants, and a sewer service extension agreement. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Multi-use path:** A shared pathway for both pedestrians and cyclists, typically wider than a standard sidewalk. In this meeting, the James Street project includes a 12-foot multi-use path on the west side of the street. **Engineer's estimate:** A professional cost projection prepared by consulting engineers before a project goes to bid. The James Street project's engineer's estimate was $5.2 million, but actual bids came in significantly lower. **Fish barrier:** Infrastructure like culverts or dams that blocks fish from migrating upstream to spawn. Bellingham currently has 126 identified fish passage barriers that need to be addressed. **TIB grant:** Transportation Improvement Board grant funding from Washington State. The James Street project received just under $1 million in TIB grant funding. **Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board:** A Washington State grant program that funds projects to remove obstacles to fish passage, named after a former state legislator. **Urban Growth Area (UGA):** Areas designated by counties where urban development is encouraged and where cities may eventually expand their boundaries. Properties in the UGA but outside city limits can sometimes receive city services under special circumstances. **BMC 15.36:** Bellingham Municipal Code section that governs when the city can extend sewer service outside city limits, typically only for public health and safety reasons. **Retail sewer service:** Direct sewer service provided by the city to individual properties, as opposed to wholesale service provided to other municipalities or districts. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Committee Chair, Bellingham City Council | | Lisa Anderson | Committee Member, Bellingham City Council | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member, Bellingham City Council | | Dan Hammill | Council Member (attending online) | | Michael Lilliquist | Council Member (attending in person) | | Joel Flint | Public Works Director | | Freeman Anthony | Project Engineer, Public Works | | Matteo Scoggins | Environmental Coordinator, Public Works | | Annelise Burns | Habitat and Restoration Manager, Public Works |…
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Government Operations AB 24785 AB 24786 AB 24795 Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board Department Fish Wildlife Lummi Nation Nooksack Tribe Ram Construction Tib Grants Annelise Burns Freeman Anthony Hamill Hannah Stone Jace Cotton Joel Flint Lilliquist Lisa Anderson Matteo Scoggins Paul Reed Budget Finance Environmental Restoration Fish Passage Restoration Flood Mitigation Infrastructure James Street Project King Mountain Septic Failure Squalicum Creek Telegraph Road Transportation Policy Water Resources Yew Street Road